Trouble
by scarlet79
Summary: Simple name, complicated story. During a wicked storm, Nathan is attacked and left for dead. Audrey dreams about a terrible tragedy happening in Haven, one that seems connected to her fractured past. Can she, Nathan, and Duke figure it all out before something horrible happens? Rated K for now, but that may change...
1. Chapter 1

_AN: Okay, so I think it's time I started working on another of my favorite shows - Haven! I just love Nathan, Audrey and Duke! This would have been set in the first or second season (before all the crazy stuff with the Guard...) but really, I just like pretending that Jordan and the Guard never really showed up, so..._

_Anywho...have fun with this one! And let me know what you think!_

* * *

**Trouble**

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Come on, Wuornos," Audrey Parker muttered to the unconscious man in her arms. "Don't make me carry you."

Cursing the rain that stung her skin and drenched her clothes, she staggered under Nathan's weight, feeling her arms slowly losing their hold on him. Taking one step at a time, her breath coming in short gasps, she heaved him down the slippery grass hill in the park, almost dropping him as her high-heeled shoes searched for stable footing. She finally made it to the pier without collapsing, but only just barely. The wind whipped around them both, slapping her wet hair painfully across her face and making her soaked clothes feel ten degrees colder. She quickly shifted her grip on her unconscious partner, grabbing his waist with one hand and tossing his left arm over her shoulder, her teeth chattering against the pelting rain. Glancing up, she finally saw the bobbing outline of Duke's boat, its hull sending up extra spray as it rode the waves.

"Duke!" She shouted up at the boat before her, her voice nearly torn away in the storm. "Duke, please help!" She waited, but either he wasn't there, or he hadn't heard her. Not willing to just leave it at that, she drew in a deep breath and tried again. "Duke, help me!"

After a few long moments that seemed to trickle by like years, a dark head appeared above her, and a relieved sob escaped her lips. Duke had been down below decks, reading a book he'd borrowed from Dave Teagues and waiting out the storm when he'd heard a faint cry. At first, he'd thought he'd been hearing things – the old fishermen often say that the wind sounds a lot like a woman's wail – and truthfully, he'd been drinking a little. But then as he listened, he had definitely been able to make out his own name, its utterance sounding desperate, fearful. Tossing the book aside, he had rushed up to the main deck without another thought.

Standing there now, Duke looked down over the railing, trying to understand just what was going on, and who would be out in a storm like this. When he realized it was Audrey – and by the looks of it, a Nathan who was once again in a bit of trouble – he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hang on! I'm coming!"

Though he knew it was a risk to do so, Duke raced across the deck of the boat without stopping to put on some shoes. He rushed down the gangplank, the rain instantly soaking through his white t-shirt and blue jeans, sending rivulets of water through his jet-black hair. A crack of thunder suddenly sounded right above their heads, and he instinctively hunched over while still running. Just before he reached them, he nearly slipped off the dock and fell into the cold water, but his natural cat-like reflexes kicked in, and he managed to stay on his feet and keep going. The momentum from his near-fall sent him crashing against the piling beside Audrey, but he wrapped his arms around it and hung on, suddenly wishing he'd indeed slipped on some sneakers. He cast a quick glance out at the sea. The waves were monstrous; ten or twelve foot whitecaps crashed one after another on the water's surface, their sound hidden in the roaring wind and rumbles of thunder. Standing there, Duke suddenly felt very small and vulnerable, a strange feeling for a "tough guy" like him.

Catching as much of his breath as he could, Duke pushed away from the piling and turned to face Audrey.

"What happened?" He asked her, and she shook her head, her blond hair plastered to her forehead.

"No time. He's bleeding!"

Duke flicked his eyes over at Nathan and saw she was right; blood spilled from a nice gash over his left eyebrow, dripping at a steady rate into a spreading pool of reddish water at their feet.

"Okay, come on," he said, holding his arm out at a ninety-degree angle to his body. Understanding what he wanted her to do, Audrey shifted Nathan's weight onto Duke, and he took up her former pose – one hand around Nathan's waist, and Nathan's arm draped over Duke's broad shoulder. He had almost as much trouble carrying Nathan as she did, with his bare feet sliding on the slippery, waterlogged wood of the dock. But he was stronger than Audrey, and when she took hold of Nathan's other side, they were able to make their way back up the plank to the boat, then down the narrow stairs to Duke's room.

Finally out of the pounding storm, Audrey first helped lay Nathan on Duke's bed, then straightened up and let out a sigh. Her partner was nowhere near safe yet, so the moment she allowed herself to take was the only one. She hadn't noticed that Duke had left the room until he suddenly appeared beside her with a handful of towels. He handed one to her, and she halfheartedly dabbed at her hair before setting to work on Nathan.

"You gonna tell me what happened, now?" Duke asked her as he rubbed his own hair dry. Startled, Audrey looked up at him, her hands hovering over the buttons of Nathan's shirt.

"What?" When she replayed what he'd said in her mind, she shrugged. "Oh. Actually, I'm not quite sure."

Duke was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She went back to removing Nathan's wet clothes, trying to remain detached as she pulled off first his shirt and then the rest, tossing them with a sodden "plop" on the wood-plank floor. She had done this same thing many times before – or, rather, the "real" Audrey Parker had – but for some reason that she could not figure out, now that it was Nathan she became nervous. Her hands fumbled with the blankets of Duke's bed, and she muttered a curse under her breath.

Duke, perhaps thinking that she was just frazzled from whatever had happened to cause Nathan's injury, took her hands in his, making her look at him in confusion.

"Audrey," he said, his dark eyes boring into hers, "what happened to Nathan?"

"I don't know," she whispered, trying to look away. The only place her eyes could go, however, was to the bed where Nathan still lay, the blanket half-covering him. _Why am I acting like some weak, scared little girl?_ She asked herself. _I'm an FBI agent – well, I was...or, the other Audrey was – and now I'm a police officer. So, sit up straight, put on your "cop" face, and tell Duke everything._

Audrey drew in a breath. "I got a call from him on my cell, while I was helping get the rest of the boards up for the storm. When I answered, all I heard was shouting, and then a muffled sound, like..." she frowned, trying to think of the right word. "...like something hitting the ground."

She stood up and walked back over to her partner, looking down at him. She swiped a lock of hair off his forehead, careful not to brush her fingers against his head wound. A tender look crossed her face, and Duke pretended not to notice it. Even so, she could feel his eyes on her, and she cleared her throat self-consciously, pulling the covers up over Nathan's still form. Duke saw that, too, and hid a grin. He had known from the day Audrey and Nathan had met, that there was something more than the usual feelings of mutual co-worker fondness between them. It wasn't anything they did or said – they were too smart, too _proper_ for that. No, it was just in their eyes, in the way they acted around each other. The irony, though, was that out of everyone in Haven, the only two people who were left clueless about their own feelings were both cops.

"I tried calling his name," she continued softly, turning to sit on the very end of the bed, resting her elbows on her knees. "But the other end went dead. I just...I had this feeling that something had happened, something bad. So, I went looking for him."

Duke subconsciously mirrored her, though his hands dropped between his knees, his fingers laced together. He had to admit, Audrey had a way of telling stories; the most boring day filled with nothing more than office work could suddenly sound like a four-day cruise, if she wanted to make it that way. As it was, right now he was fairly glued to his seat.

"I found him behind the Gull, Duke." Her eyes were not quite accusing, but the tone she'd used, the way she said his name after, told him she meant to lay some sort of blame on him.

He shook his head, disbelieving that she would even think he could hurt Nathan. "Audrey, I was on the boat. I've been here all day."

She watched his face for a moment and then sighed, her shoulders sagging heavily. "I know," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I don't know why..."

He waved good-naturedly. "It's okay. I get it."

"No, Duke, I should know by now...it's just...the storm, and Nathan getting hurt..."

Duke leaned forward, raising his voice only slightly above normal. "Audrey, stop."

When she turned her cornflower-blue eyes on him, he gave her an encouraging smile and sat back, his usual "devil-may-care" attitude returning. "Nathan's a strong guy. He'll be okay. And _when_ he wakes up, he'll be able to tell us what happened himself. Tell us who did this to him."

That last was said with a clenched jaw, and Audrey felt even worse for accusing him of having anything to do with Nathan's current state. Despite their turbulent history, the two men she considered her friends were now slowly building their own friendship from the ground up. Audrey could tell that seeing Nathan this way had sparked something in Duke, a dark rage that so far, he was able to hide behind that charming smile. She shuddered to think about the time that would come, when he could no longer hide it. Would it escape a little at a time, like the circling smoke of a cigar, or would it all just come pouring out in a torrent, one that was capable of dragging a full-grown man to his death?

As she tucked these thoughts away, a yawn suddenly hit her, too quickly to hide behind her hand. Duke chuckled and stood up, his hand held out to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, that same smile still on his tanned face.

"Come on, Rip Van Parker. It's time you got some rest."

She shook her head. "I should stay with Nathan. I haven't even started cleaning that wound of his, and..."

"Don't make me tie you up," Duke said, and paused just long enough for her to wonder if he was joking or not. Then, more softly than she'd ever heard him speak, he added, "I'll take care of your partner. Trust me."

Knowing she would not be able to weasel her way out of going to bed, she lifted her hands and said, "Fine. But if I catch my death in these wet clothes..."

Duke rolled his eyes at her dramatics and walked over to a dresser along the far wall. The drawer opened with a slight squeak, and he spent a good minute rustling around inside it. Finally, he muttered something that sounded like "aha" and pulled a rumpled blue t-shirt out of the drawer. As he handed it to her, he said, "That should be long enough to wear as a dress. It was even long on me, so..."

Audrey looked down at the shirt. It was printed with the logo of a sports team, of course, and when she held it up against her body, the hem indeed fell to her knees. Though, at this point, she was so cold and tired that she wouldn't have cared if it was short. Hugging it to her chest, she favored Duke with a smile.

"Thank you."

As she left to change, Duke called after her, "Just don't make it smell all girly. I hate that."

Audrey just chuckled and shut the bathroom door.

* * *

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Trouble**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

There was a crash of thunder, and Audrey's eyes flew open. She was standing in the middle of Haven's Main Street, and as she looked around, sudden horror filled her stomach. The buildings, which once stood tall and proud on both sides of the street, their bright colors beckoning any and all to enter, were now burnt, their beautiful awnings and shutters collapsed into piles of ash. Thick, black smoke rose around her, blocking out the summer sun; it pressed on her lungs and made her cough like a miner with black lung. The heat from a few small, leftover fires made the air sticky, as if it had been infused with maple syrup. All around her, the people of the town stood in disbelief, tears streaking down their soot-covered faces. Someone nearby was wailing, and yet another was calling out for a loved one, using their hands to claw through a pile of rubble.

"What happened?" she asked aloud, but no one turned to look at her. She noticed Dave and Vince Teagues on her left, where the antique store had been. Dave's glasses were gone, and his arms were wrapped around himself. Vince stood silently beside him, looking out at the destruction and shaking his head. She tried to wave at them, to get their attention, but they either didn't see her, or refused to acknowledge her.

On the other side of the street, Duke was helping a woman sweep the only portion of the original wooden sidewalk that had escaped whatever disaster had occurred here. He must have felt her watching him, because his head suddenly snapped up, and he stared right back at her. For a moment, it seemed as if he were going to call to her, and then he shook his head and lowered his gaze again to his sweeping, his hand wiping at something in the corner of his eye.

Audrey glanced up the street and saw Chief Wuornos standing there, his hands on his hips, his graying hair blowing lightly in the breeze. He used to remind her of every sheriff in every western movie she'd ever seen, minus the spurs. But not now, she thought. Now, he looks like just another man. A tired man, living on borrowed time.

Even from this distance, she could tell that he was crying, too. Audrey jogged up to him, not concerned in the least that he had actually died three months ago, that his remains were buried in a cooler in a field.

"Chief?" She asked, but he seemed to ignore her, his eyes focused on the remains of the post office. The only thing still standing was the blue mailbox that had sat outside the building's front door. Some of the paint had blistered off, hanging from the metal box like melted wax from an overturned candle.

"Oh, Nathan..." was all he said, and then, he continued to repeat it every few seconds. It scared her more than the apocalyptic scene around her. His voice, gravelly with sorrow, saying his son's name slightly above a whisper – it was a haunting sound.

"Nathan?" She mimicked, her own eyes going toward the post office. Then, she turned and gripped the Chief's shoulders, and he finally turned to look at her. "Chief, was Nathan in the post office?"

Slowly he nodded, and the tears started anew, running silently down his weathered cheeks. "I loved him like my own. His real father didn't deserve him, would never deserve such a good boy like...Oh, Nathan!"

He leaned against her shoulder, even more of his failing strength leaving him as he realized that his son – adoptive or not – was gone. Audrey's own heart began to beat hard in her chest, the same realization just now hitting her. Nathan, her partner, was gone. Why hadn't she gotten to him in time? Now he was dead, and she'd never gotten to tell him...

Her mouth opened to sob but no sound came out, and she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe normally before she passed out. The wave of dizziness she'd begun to feel slowly subsided, and she managed to stay calm and professional. Pulling Nathan's father away to look at him, she asked, "Chief, what exactly happened to the town?"

The look in his eyes was one of reproach, as if she had just asked the stupidest question in the world. Leaning out of her grasp, he wiped the tears from his face and said, "You happened, Lucy. It was your fault then, and it's your fault now."

More thunder rolled overhead, and it reverberated through Audrey's body, sending a shock-wave of fear through her. She threw her arms over her head and ducked down, trying to become as small a target as possible in case a stray bolt of lightning should find its way to where she stood. Suddenly, she was aware of a strange pressure on her back, and her eyes flew open. No longer was she in the destroyed town, but she lay on a couch in a darkened room.

Duke's couch.

On Duke's boat.

She remembered lying down here, telling herself that she was not tired in the least. But the pillow Duke had given her had been so soft and cool, and the blanket so warm, that she had snuggled down under the covers and immediately dropped off to sleep. _And dreamed that I was Lucy Ripley_, she added with a shake of her head. Then, pushing the blanket aside, she swung her legs over the edge of the couch and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. She padded silently on her bare feet into Duke's bedroom, just able to make out Nathan's prone form still on the bed. Audrey felt around on the small desk for the lamp's switch, wincing as it brightened the room more than she'd thought it would. Her gaze swept Nathan's face, watching for a flutter of eyelids, for a sudden deeply-inhaled breath, but there was nothing. She wasn't sure if she was grateful for that or not. A quiet sigh from her right startled her, and she turned to see Duke sleeping in the chair he'd pulled up beside the bed. His arms were crossed over his chest, the back of his head resting against the wall. Audrey smiled at the sight of him there, allowing herself a moment to simply watch both men sleep. They both looked so peaceful, and she could see in their faces what they had looked like as children, before life's wrinkles had been placed on their skin.

Audrey stepped over to the far side of the bed and rested her hand against Nathan's brow, noting with appreciation that Duke had done a fair job of bandaging the gash. _Well, he did promise to care for Nathan_, she told herself. His skin was cool – no sign of fever – so she slowly pulled her hand away. As she did, Nathan's eyes fluttered, and he gasped in a quiet breath. A moment later, he fixed his blue eyes on her face and gave her a small grin.

"Hey, Parker," he rasped, and she smiled back at him.

"Welcome back," she said quietly as she handed him the glass of water that had been sitting on the bedside table, watching closely as he drank the entire contents. When he gave it back, his fingers brushed hers, and she heard him utter another small gasp. He saw the look on her face, and his own gaze turned sheepish.

"Forgot what that feels like. Kinda hard to get used to."

Audrey nodded sympathetically. "I'm just glad to have you back. For a while there, I thought the Wuornos line was just about finished."

Hearing herself say that reminded her of her dream, and she swallowed against the sudden thick feeling in her throat. If Nathan noticed, he made no sign of it. He did notice Duke, however, and shot her a questioning look.

"Do I even want to know?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I doubt it. And I doubt he'll ever bring it up, either. But if it wasn't for Duke, you might not be alive to ask."

Nathan sighed and folded his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "Okay," he finally said, "I'm ready."

Audrey quickly filled him in on how she had gotten his garbled phone call and then went looking for him. She told him about finding him lying unconscious behind the Gull, his head gashed open, the rain pounding down on his still form. The terror and helplessness she had felt then suddenly returned, coiling in her gut like a million snakes, and she found herself reaching for his hand. He twined his fingers with hers, bringing their hands to rest on his bare chest as she continued her narrative.

"I dragged you all the way from the Gull, through the town park and down to the docks. I found Duke, here on his boat, and he came down and helped get you on board. Then," she added, grinning ruefully, "he sent me to bed and patched up your head."

She squeezed his fingers. "I never would've been able to get you to the hospital in time."

"If you think I'm gonna thank him, you can..."

Not wanting to hear how he would end that statement, she held up her hand, and he stopped. "Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of it. Now, who..."

Just then, her cell phone rang, and she immediately jumped up to answer it. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear, praying that the storm's torrential rains hadn't damaged it. Duke jerked awake at the sudden ringing, for an instant looking like he'd forgotten where he was. When he saw Audrey pacing in front of him, he leaned back and scrubbed his hands over his face, now fully awake.

"Parker," she stated, then listened to the person on the other end while simultaneously watching curious looks pass over faces of the two men before her. As the caller finished speaking, she nodded once in response and said, "Okay. I'm on my way."

As she slipped her phone back into her pocket, Duke asked, "Who was that?"

"Charlie, down at the station. He got a call that there's a jumper on the King Street Bridge."

"You think it has to do with the Troubles?" Nathan asked her, and she nodded.

"I'd be surprised if it didn't." She looked at Duke. "You got a jacket I can borrow?"

He jumped up and went to his closet. Pulling a denim jacket off a hanger, he tossed it to her and said, "This is all I've got that's dry. Sorry."

"That's okay," she assured him as she slipped it on. The sleeves were a little long, but she pushed them up on her arms. Before she could leave the room, she caught sight of Nathan trying to sit up, and she huffed out a sigh. "Nathan, what are you doing?"

"Coming with you. You might need help."

Audrey shook her head. "I'll be fine. You need to stay here and rest. You lost a lot of blood."

"But you can't..."

"Nathan," she warned, and he sat still and looked up at her, a boyish pout on his lips. "Stay here."

"You sure you should be going alone?" Duke asked her, his hand already reaching for a second jacket, just in case. She nodded, and his hand fell away from the closet.

"I'm sure. Keep an eye on him, make sure he stays put, please?"

He dipped his head once. "No problem."

Nathan tossed his head back on his pillow, sighing dramatically. He muttered something that sounded like "Nurse Ratchet" under his breath, and she hid a smile.

"I'll be back soon," she promised them, and then she was gone, back out into the storm.

* * *

_TBC..._


End file.
